What Happened
Near Net Shape Composites Transform Production
The aerospace industry is under pressure to improve manufacturing efficiency due to sustained demand growth, material shortages, and labour constraints. According to PwC, commercial aerospace has a backlog extending over a decade, with forecasts indicating more than 43,000 new aircraft are required over the next 20 years. To address this, manufacturers are focusing on improving the buy-to-fly ratio, which measures material purchased versus material used in finished components. Near net-shape composites, such as those offered by L&L Products, are transforming aerospace manufacturing by reducing waste and cycle times, as reported by Aerospace Manufacturing magazine.